strong and light
easy to carry small height folded
easy to fold out
easy to screw and unscrew
so: very fast to stand
good stiffness

none under 4 kilograms meaning about 5 lbs
stiffness unefficient if knocked while shooting

a pity indeed thay it has been outclassed. It happened to be more useful in video than for photography, even with my Canon XH-A1S (medium weight for a pro-video).
In fac it has a load capacity far more important than announced:4,4 lbs. it can withstand easily a charge of 8 lbs (=4 kilograms, means: camera itself, on-light, HDV 701 head,micro Rode NG2, more a bagkata 193 fastened to its hook, at the bottom of the column, a video-butt Novoflex,in case, with many cassettes and three batteries BP-970G...)
The small maximum height is no obstacle for the shooting since you are not obliged, as in photography, to stick your eye behind an strictly vertical viewfinder making part of the body. So quick to fold out with its only two screw-rings, the screwing very efficient . And no kidding with the weight ! so light !
No vibrations neither with the column raised because you unlock for shooting the bmocklage of the head which is so smooth that it avoids every jolt except knocking of course.
I own another Basalt G-1297, far bigger and heavier which is often reserved for my Nikon 500mm ( without heavy wind...in that case i take my G-1410 Pro studex MK2 for full stability) but no use to take it for the XH-A1S on field.
I don't understand why they stopped the production.
I own also a Benro Alu Traveler, heavy and uneasy to screw and unscrew with too many sections and rings that you unscew unproperly at least one of them which becomes dangerous. The ultimate section is so weak...At last I stopped the use: too tricky.
Maybe they would read this...

Similar Products Used:

Benro Traveler alu
Velbon alu
Gitzo G-1297
Gitzo G-1410 Prostudex